“Unfortunately, from inner qi to outer qi, it’s just a step away, yet it’s a chasm. Breaking through is extremely difficult. The key is to spend a great deal of time carefully refining the qi and tempering the body.”

Walking through the perilous Zhenlong Abyss, Eric Dawson wore a smile on his face.

“However, if I modify the vortex reversal method of the Tianyuan Reverse Flow Technique, and then guide the chaotic demonic qi into my body, I can turn waste into treasure, making it an excellent whetstone to hone my own qi. This can help me break through from within to without, transforming inner qi into outer qi.”

Chapter 9: Taking the Unconventional Path, No Explanation Needed for Being Cool

Once he had the idea, he acted on it. After exploring a stretch of the Zhenlong Abyss, the group stopped to rest, and Eric Dawson sat cross-legged to meditate.

In the crowd, Ethan Clark kept his gaze fixed on Eric Dawson.

“One day, I will surpass you. I want to see if, when that time comes, you can still maintain that lofty, disdainful, arrogant look of yours…”

Aside from old grudges, at this moment, Ethan Clark felt a strange, indescribable sensation when facing Eric Dawson.

There was a bit of mutual appreciation, but even more awkwardness and dislike.

It was as if they were born rivals, making him subconsciously feel suppressed, which in turn made him uncomfortable.

“But the True Flame Seed he mentioned earlier in the sect’s steward hall would also be of great use to me,” Ethan Clark pondered. “If it ends up in his hands, seeking it from him would be too humiliating…”

As Ethan Clark was thinking, his eyes suddenly widened.

At this moment, Alice Warren and the others also noticed something was wrong—Eric Dawson was actually inhaling the black mist that everyone else avoided like the plague!

In their eyes, this was practically suicide by poison!

As for what others thought, Eric Dawson didn’t care. Looking inward, he could see the chaotic qi gathering under his secret technique, as if forming a grinding wheel, spinning rapidly under the agitation of his qi.

During the spinning, Eric Dawson’s internal qi was being honed sharper and sharper by this grinding wheel, with a faint tendency to burst out from within!

“Excellent. Compared to normal cultivation, the efficiency is three to five times higher, if not more. Although it only applies to this stage of transforming inner qi to outer qi, it saves me a huge amount of time. The realm of outer qi master is just within reach.”

Eric Dawson nodded in satisfaction, temporarily finishing his cultivation. He stopped, opened his eyes, and saw everyone staring at him in shock and confusion.

“Taking the unconventional path really does draw attention…” Eric Dawson grinned, thinking to himself, “A flashy life like mine really needs no explanation.”

A young disciple’s eyes flashed with understanding: “With the changes in Zhenlong Abyss, the black mist is even more turbulent than in previous years, with unprecedented, unpredictable phenomena.”

“Is Senior Brother Dawson drawing the mist into his body to carefully study its mysteries in this way? But this is just too risky.”

Eric Dawson was momentarily stunned, a bit speechless at the crowd’s ability to fill in the blanks.

Everyone suddenly understood and nodded in agreement: “So that’s how it is.”

Ethan Clark was still somewhat puzzled, subconsciously rubbing his dark red ring with his finger.

Seeing his expression, Eric Dawson, unnoticed by the others, quickly rolled his eyes: “He really does have a ring…”

Ethan Clark’s rapid rise and swift improvement in cultivation were also due to some fortuitous secret technique. He might not know Eric Dawson’s method, but by analogy, he couldn’t help but make some connections.

But Eric Dawson didn’t care about this.

As for the others, they were all full of admiration: “Even masters with higher cultivation than Senior Brother Dawson might not dare to directly inhale the black mist like this, right?”

What was a deadly black mist to them seemed completely inconsequential to Eric Dawson.

“In any case, don’t imitate this rashly, or you’ll be inviting disaster and putting yourselves in danger.” Eric Dawson stood up, dusted off his clothes, and took the lead, with the others quickly following.

At this moment, a tall figure rushed up from behind and caught up with Eric Dawson’s group—it was Jack.

Eric Dawson didn’t stop, still walking at a leisurely pace. Jack came to his side and spoke in a low voice, “Young master, there’s news.”

“It can’t be confirmed yet, but there are rumors that after the recent inner-sect junior competition, that Ethan Clark caught the eye of Elder Stone.”

Hearing this, Eric Dawson turned to glance at Jack.

Jack nodded: “Rumor has it that Elder Stone greatly admires his perseverance and unyielding character, and plans to observe him for a while longer, with the intention of taking him as a direct disciple.”

Eric Dawson sneered, “No wonder…”

This elder was not like the others. This Elder Stone, unlike the previous Elder Bennett or even the chief elder stationed in Eastern Tang, was on a completely different level.

Elder Bennett was just a steward elder, and one who had gotten there by seniority.

Above the chief elder of Eastern Tang was the Eastern Continent Elder, who intimidated the entire Tiandong Continent.

Elder Stone was the head elder of the Discipline Hall within the sect, in charge of all the rules and laws of the Guangcheng Mountain sect, overseeing discipline and enforcement. His rank was on par with the Eastern Continent Elder, but his authority was even greater and his strength even stronger.